California Police Academies

Most California police academies are run by colleges or universities. Some of the larger agencies, such as the LAPD, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and California Highway Patrol operate their own academies. Additionally, there are several regional police academies. Agency-run academies are operated for cadets hired by that agency to attend. Many of the college-based academies are pay-your-own-way academies, meaning you are responsible for paying for your own tuition and other fees. Generally, you will need to be certified first before a police department will hire you.